Your name: ______________________
Research Assignment: Academic Search Complete
Tips for Keyword Searching in Library Databases
Phrase searching -- this is the default
Ex. native american (will automatically be searched as 2 word phrase)
fuel cell cars (will automatically be search as a 3 word phrase)
If you want to combine two or more terms or concepts connect them with “and”
Ex. attention deficit and children and school
yoga and health
Truncation, if you want to search all endings of a word, use *
Ex. teen* (will search teen, teens, teenage, teenager, teenagers)
benefit* (will search benefit, benefits, beneficial)
If you want to retrieve more results and use the synonyms that you have thought of, you can use the word “or” but your need to put ( ) around the terms you are or-ring:
Ex. drinking and (teen* or adolescent*)
children and (vaccination or immunization)
In general – the more words or phrases that you connect with and, the fewer articles you get
the more words or phrases that you connect with or, the more articles you get
Practice with search strategies in Academic Search Complete:
1. The search: television influence on teens gets how many articles? Write down how you would change this search to get more articles
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2. The search: electronic cigarettes native americans gets how many articles? How can you change this search to get some articles?
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3. The topic: Does capital punishment have an effect on crime?
If this were your topic, how would you create a search for it? Think about how you would find articles that might support this claim and write down one search that you would try. (Searches include keywords or phrases and connecting words)
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4. Now write your research topic below. Then circle the keywords or phras...
